Third arrest over foiled Taylor Swift concert terror plot

Entertainment

A third teenager has been arrested in connection with a plot to carry out a terror attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Austria.

Austrian home secretary Gerhard Karner said an 18-year-old Iraqi national had been taken into custody on Thursday evening in Vienna after allegedly being in contact with the 19-year-old main suspect.

All three of Swift’s planned shows at the Ernst Happel Stadium were cancelled on Wednesday by event organisers Barracuda Music after it said it had a duty to protect everyone’s safety.

What security measures are in place for Wembley gigs?

Officials in Vienna said on Thursday that the main suspect, who is said to have North Macedonian roots, wanted to use weapons outside the stadium to kill as many people as possible.

Authorities display a photo of a man arrested in connection with a plot to attack Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Vienna, Austria.
Pic: AP
Image:
A photo released by authorities of the main suspect. ic: AP

Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, said the suspect was “clearly radicalised in the direction of the Islamic State (IS) and thinks it is right to kill infidels”.

The main suspect and the 18-year-old arrested on Friday both pledged “oaths of allegiance” to IS, officials said.

Mr Karner said the third teenager is “not directly connected to the attack plans” but comes from the same social circle as the main suspect.

A 17-year-old has also been arrested. According to officials, the Austrian citizen, who has a Turkish and Croatian background, had started a job at the concert venue days before the Swift shows were cancelled over the terror threat.

No additional suspects are being sought. A 15-year-old was questioned by police, but not arrested.


Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Articles You May Like

Nvidia says it will sell more of its next-generation Blackwell chips than previously anticipated
Super Micro hires new auditor to maintain Nasdaq listing; shares pop 37%
YMX Logistics deploys 20 new Orange EV electric yard trucks
QB Underwood, No. 1 recruit for ’25, flips to U-M
Priest who allowed Sabrina Carpenter to film provocative music video stripped of duties